How to Install a Geothermal Heating and Cooling System …

A geothermal heating and cooling system provides a way for a home owner to become more environmentally friendly. The system helps lower their energy bills and reduce the environmental impact of their heating and cooling needs within the home. It is more efficient than the traditional forced air systems that are found in a home, but it costs more in terms of up front expenses. Here are the tools, materials and steps required to install a geothermal heating and cooling system in your home to replace your current inefficient system.

There are different types to consider when purchasing a geothermal heating and cooling system: vertical loops, horizontal loops and well water geothermal system. A vertical loops geothermal heating and cooling system is used when trenches cannot be built because the land is too rocky. A horizontal loops geothermal heating and cooling system runs pipes horizontal to the home in a trench, as oppose to vertically in the ground. Both the vertical and horizontal loops systems are closed loops systems.

The well water geothermal heating and cooling system is a potable or mechanical water well that is drilled in the ground in order to supply water for the system.

You will need to dig holes or required trenches for the installation of the well or pipes in either the vertical or horizontal systems. Use a back hoe that you may be able to rent from a tool rental store or a home improvement center in order to make the job of digging holes easier.

The pipes for the geothermal heating and cooling system need to be laid in accordance to the system that you have. In a vertical system the pipes will be laid directly into the ground. In the horizontal system they will be laid in the trench with the return connection to your home.

Replace the pump in your existing forced air heating and cooling system. Before you begin the installation of the pump, cut off the main circuit breaker to interrupt the flow of electricity to the pump and avoid electrocuting yourself. Cut the wires and connect the new wires from the geothermal pump. Match the ground and hot wires (green or copper for ground and black or red for hot wires. White wires are neutral).

Connect the loops to the geothermal pump in accordance to their connection order (hot to hot, ground to ground).

Start the pump and open the pump valve. The pipes for the vertical or horizontal loops systems need to have a mixture of antifreeze and water introduced into them in order to charge the system and ready it for use. A well water geothermal system will skip this step.

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How to Install a Geothermal Heating and Cooling System ...